We Come Back
by GW Katrina
Summary: How much blood did a body hold? He had killed so many, why didn’t he know the answer? Slash, Character Death. One Shot, Complete


Red warmth slid down his hand. The sound of rustling paper filled his ears as the scent of blood filled his nose.

Before him, Sanzo stood, proud and defiant, even with a sword through his body. And a now-clawless hand in his back. All about him was the Maten sutra, withering wildly as blood fell on it.

It was the sutra that had curled around Goku's head. For the first time, it hadn't been Sanzo's touch that had restored the diadem. For the first time, Goku had been aware immediately after one of his rampages.

He desperately wanted to be asleep.

The sword slid out first. The demon, some random, if strong, minion, turned to face off against Gojyo. Goku could hear them fight, but he couldn't take his eyes from Sanzo. It took a racking cough from the blond to make Goku realize that his fingers were still in Sanzo's back. With a small sound of horror, he wrenched them free.

That was the final straw for Sanzo's balance, so it seemed. With a barely audible sigh, he took a half-step back; almost stepping on Goku, then fell backwards. Goku caught him, ready to scream. Sanzo's robes were more red than white, and they were still changing colors. Violet eyes were dull, unseeing of the ceiling that rose far over them. And still the Maten tore a violently around, now including Goku in its dance.

Sanzo opened his mouth, as if to say something, but only blood came out. He tried again, but could not get anything out past the blood.

How could there be so much blood, Goku thought hysterically. There was so much, more than with Rikudo, more than with the scorpion demon. More than with Kami-Sama and Homura. How much blood did a body hold? He had killed so many, why didn't he know the answer?

_/saru/_

The word drifted through his mind. He had not heard anything like it for a long time. Since he was in the cave, and it told him stories to calm him down. Now....

"Sanzo?" He could hear tears in his voice. No! He wasn't going to cry. Sanzo wouldn't like it.

_/stupid saru. live. don't care how. just live and be safe. the others need you.../_

The voice faded, and Goku's heart froze. "Sanzo!?"

_/careful Goku. take it and protect it. don't let them have it. remember, we come back.../_

The form in his arms stilled, and Goku froze. He pushed the bamboo plate over and rested a trembling hand on the blood-soaked chest. Nothing.

He hurt. Too much to cry out, too much to do much of anything but stare at the body that draped across his lap. Then something seemed to land on his lap.

Blank golden eyes took a moment to focus, and then he saw that it was the Maten sutra, in its scroll form. He reached for it in the hand covered in Sanzo's blood. He knew that the blood wouldn't stain it. It never did. How many times had Sanzo's blood splattered the paper? It should have been stained red by now, but it wasn't.

Picking it up, Goku studied it for a moment, absently aware of the fact that the fight was still going on around him. Sanzo had wanted him to watch it. To keep it and the others safe. It was his final orders. For Goku to live, to protect the others.

Like he had failed to protect Sanzo.

A harsh sob broke from his throat, and Goku was quick to swallow it back. He tucked the sutra away as the sky broke open, and rain began to fall. It quickly masked the tears that ran down Goku's face.

How many times had he held Sanzo during the rain? At some point of their trip, Goku had been the one Sanzo had started to come to during those nights of rain. They had worked hard at replacing those bad memories he had of rain with better ones, though Sanzo had never truly gotten past those dark thoughts. Goku had never really understood why he had hated the rain so much.

Now he did.

Another sob tore itself free, and Goku leaned forward and brushed his lips against Sanzo's. Then he gently closed the empty eyes that still stared at the ceiling.

"You'd better come back, Sanzo," murmured the brunette. "Or else I'm going to hunt you down, one way or another."

Carefully setting Sanzo's body on the ground, Goku rose and turned towards the others. He would not fail Sanzo. Not this time. It was his fault Sanzo was dead. He would not let the last request of the one person he loved above all others go unfulfilled.

With a howl, he charged into battle.


End file.
